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Richmond County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Richmond County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.

76.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

23%

high water table: limits basements

76%

in drought, October 13, 2026

57%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Richmond County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.8%
High water table (limits basements)23.3%
Septic fields very limited70.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)4.9%
Mapped soil306,938 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Ailey24%n/a
Wakulla15%n/a
Candor15%n/a
Georgeville6%0%
Johnston6%n/a
Pelion4%n/a
Scotland County: 69%Anson County: 37%Montgomery County: 19%Moore County: 28%Marlboro County: 83%Hoke County: 45%Chesterfield County: 43%Stanly County: 18%Richmond County ScotlandAnsonMontgomeryMooreMarlboroHokeChesterfieldStanlyRichmond
Richmond County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NC153 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 23% of Richmond County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.73 in, 17.03 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.76 in.

USDA rates 71% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

76.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 weeks, most recently on the August 25, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse76.1%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

13 flood losses since 2016, $220,150 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 5.

YearFlood losses
20165
20170
20183
20191
20201
20211
20220
20231
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.76 in
12 months to August 202629.73 in (-17.03)
202543.37 in (-3.39)
Wettest year since 18952018: 66.22 in
Driest year since 18951925: 32.84 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HAMLET (9 mi away)13.8

Homes

Housing units19,893
Median year built1976
Built before 198057%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied66%
Median value, owner-occupied$127,800
Single-family detached68%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Scotland County, NC 19 mi 0% 69%
Anson County, NC 20 mi 15% 37%
Montgomery County, NC 24 mi 4% 19%
Moore County, NC 26 mi 1% 28%
Marlboro County, SC 28 mi 0% 83%
Hoke County, NC 29 mi 0% 45%
Chesterfield County, SC 34 mi 0% 43%
Stanly County, NC 35 mi 4% 18%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status